Help!! - Sallisaw, OK

Hey T., Congratulations on your new baby! All babies are different, but what I found that worked for me was I set up a schedule for my son. I put him in bed at the same time everyday for naps and at night for bedtime. We developed a routine. Before putting him to bed I would read him a book and turn on his fisher price aquarium on the side of his crib every time I put him down. When I first started trying to do this it was so hard because he just layed in bed and cried (I went to take a bath so I could relax during this time)After about a week of this he gave up. He either layed in bed and played for a little while or he went to sleep. It was very difficult but I started this when he was around 6 months. My son is now 1 year old and we still follow the same routine. It's been working out great. As far as his tantrums I read that children generally have two different types of tantrums. If your child a throwing a tantrum because he is not being permitted to do something or have something that he wants then I think the best thing to do is walk away (put him in a safe place like his crib if necessary). Once his tantrum is over it's safe to get him out. The other tantrum children throw is from frustration. They get quite upset when they are unable to do something they are trying to accomplish. In this case you want to try to calm them down and help them accomplish whatever tasks they are trying to do. Also be sure to watch for signs that your child my be hungry or sleepy and try to head off tantrums before they start. This will teach them that they can't have everything they want but you will always be there to help them when they need you.

My two oldest did the samething it drove me crazy and I was 17 years when the first one was born and 19 years when the second came and they both did the same thing. My son I would throw a blanket over his head and rocked him and held him tight he never fought me more than ten to fifteen minutes. My daughter on the other hand was just the opposite she did everything you described. I eventually learned to let her cry it out in her crib. I made sure she had a clean diaper on and her something to drink. She threw the biggest fit. I also shut the door to her room she eventually would get tired and fall asleep. When she started to climb out the crib I let her throw her fit and we would walk away don't leave her in the room alone of course but my daughter would go in each room and throw the same fit after she realized mom and dad would not play her game she gave up. I won't lie it will not be easy its hard especially to hear your baby cry but they are just fighting their sleep.

I had the same problem with my second son and I talked with the doctor and he said that it was ok to let him cry himself to sleep. So I did for about 4 days and after that he would just lay in the bed and eventually go to sleep with no fuss.

I had that problem with my boy and he still throws a fit to get his way at 16 months old. Well 1st thing first. Letting them get their way will only teach them they are in control. I let mine throw his fit, but I do not give into his wants.
Now to your nap issues. What have you tried? Does he have any special blanket or toy? If so put these down with him. I also heard using one of your peices of clothing works. It did not for me. I have rocked mine till he was good and asleep with some soothing music. Now we read a bok before nap and bedtime and he goes to sleep on his own now. He may fuss a bit when I put him down but its not for long. Before I know it he is fast asleep.
I hope one of us girls that respond will be able to give you some advice that is helpful. Good luck. Remember patience is hard thing to hold, but well needed when it comes to your little one.

I went through that with my daughter when she was about the same age and I found that just being firm and letting her cry it out was the way to go.
Your son needs to learn now, while he's still little, that sleep is not optional and that he can't just pick and choose when he wants to do it. Something that helped us is that we developed a set routine for both nap time and bed time. Our routine was a nice warm bath at 7:30 with lavender (soothing) baby bath, then a bottle, then I would read her a short story (at this age you should actually read the same story every night- "Goodnight Moon" or other bedtime oriented stories are great) and rock her for about 10-15 minutes while humming a soothing tune. Sometimes she would fall asleep in my arms and other times I had to lie her down in her bed and just walk away while she cried. Eventually she conceded to the routine and stopped fighting so hard. It wasn't a cure-all... we still had some rough evenings... the key is to make sure you start the "winding down" process an hour or 2 before you want him to actually sleep so that he'll be more relaxed and less excited when you lie him down. I wish you all the best but as every other quirk these little darlings have, this too shall pass and probably won't last nearly as long as you think.

Hi, T.. I have 3 boys, and I have been through it all. When mine were that little, I would just put them in the bed, tell them I love & give lots of kisses & hugs, and walk out of the room & shut the door. They eventually go to sleep, but trying it for the first time will be rough, as he will cry for a while. But don't worry, he'll get used to it and so will you.
As far as his temper tantrums are concerned, that was really hard for me to overcome. I think every child reacts differently to each form of reaction their parent gives to their fits. Most people try ignoring the fit. That's what I did for my kids, but sometimes it doesn't work and it's very frustrating. You could also try putting him in his room & make him throw his fit in there. Whatever works the best, stick with it, so he'll know what happens every time he does that. I hope this helps you out a little!
H. R.